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When Apple gave up on using feline names for operating systems, it’s probably true that some Mac users were skeptical about how OS 10.9 Mavericks would turn out. Was this the sign of a new direction for Apple, or just a decision about nicknames?

For the most part, I expect the latter. Compared to Lion and Mountain Lion, Mavericks seems little different. The drive for iOS/OS X consistency continues unabated with the arrival of iBooks and Maps. That’s a good thing for people who migrate between Macs and iOS gear — and Apple would hope that number will continue to grow.

Aside from the apps, Mavericks is very much focused on enhancing the Mac user experience and performance. The addition of Finder tabs and tags, for example, seems so fundamentally logical, you have to wonder why it took ten versions of OS X before Apple got around to it. That, however, doesn’t mean the Finder is necessarily a better file browser, or a final solution. But it does mean that you can continue to use your Mac as you always have, and just adapt to some new features. I’m also glad to see Apple opting not to further tamper with OS X’s interface.